Back in the club, this time with a Pro, and I'm stoked! Had premium twice and this time went pro. Reason for going pro isn't that I didn't enjoy the moving T-Rex head and slamming the ball into his mouth, I did, but it was more that I just missed the flow of the shots and hitting those ridiculously awesome feel-good combos...and because all of the ramps are identical between pro and premium, I went ahead and just saved some bucks this time. Yeah, I was foolish for getting rid of it the times before, and I'm sure I had my reasons at the time, but this one's going to stay around for a while.

I know im not alone in saying this, but it's worth saying... this game is just amazing, not only for its flow, multiple combo shots, etc, but also it's code... This game, however you slice it, is an amazing pinball package and I'm super happy to be back with it in the gameroom

For the left ramp, seems the opto isn't catching the ball passing by about 20-30% of the time. Noticed that occasionally on a previous JP I had as well.

I've heard of some folks putting a small amount of black tape to the lower half of the opto...has that worked well, or is there any other suggestions to address this issue?

Thanks!

I know the updated ramp guard that you are referring to. I had that on my previous JP premium for that opto near the ramp entrance. This current game is a recent production pro, and I only see an opto in the back. I think the second opto in the front must be just for the premium/LE (to work with the T-Rex functions, I believe).

I haven't tested it yet, but the roof of the ramp that extends behind the playfield is held up by a 1 cm spacer (in between the ramp itself and the roof). I suppose it is possible to remove the spacers and re-fasten the roof down to the ramp (although I do not know if this will offer enough space for a ball travel, but I imagine it would). I suppose that could be another option to keep the ball from raising/lifting too high at the back of that ramp and above the beam path of the opto.

That's awesome to hear. I had a feeling that might be a good fix and I am happy to hear that you tried it and it worked. Thank you so much for posting that reply. I will definitely do that this evening when I get home from work.

And thank you very much for your reply as well as it relates to lowering that ramp roof. I really appreciate the responses. I will definitely be doing that when I get home later today!

Went home and did that ramp fix as mentioned above (removed all the spacers bringing the roof down) and played three games in a row and the ball registered with every single pass of the left ramp, fast or slow.
Good to go!!!

^^ this ^^

Where the left ramp goes behind the T-Rex head and behind the back panel of the playfield, there is a plastic cover that hovers over that portion of the ramp.
This top-cover piece of plastic ("roof") is attached to and separated from the main ramp by 1 cm spacers (allowing for a rather generous amount of space for the ball).
However, with faster shots up that left ramp, the balls seem to have a tendency to catch air, and thus the opto that is positioned directly in the back of the ramp tends to miss/not register fast passing balls.

Removing those spacers and re-fastening that plastic ramp cover ("roof"), inhibits the ball from flying too high and above the path of the opto beam.

You know, I had this same issue on my previous JP that I had in the past, and I wish I would have done this fix then as well.
Since my last post, I played three or four more games and every single shot has registered. I did not use the tape over the opto, just lowered the roof and I have been good to go since!!!

I was giving some thought to downloading this audio/video update. Is it as simple as sending Tim a PM, being given that code, downloading it onto a USB, and plugging it into the board like you would for a regular update? Seems as though everyone that has tried it has really enjoyed it. Definitely sounds as though major effort was made to create it.

Thank you all very much for your replies.
Sounds like a real winner. I'll shoot Tim a PM and see if I can't get on the alternative version bandwagon!

Thanks for that video, man, that stinks. Definitely looks like perfect response from the lower flipper, just that upper right flipper. I read back through your comments, and it looks like you reflowed the wires at the coil, have you attempted to replace the coil itself? Uncommon as it is, but there very well maybe a break somewhere there inside the coil.
I will also take a look at my leaf switches later today at the right flipper button inside the cabinet and try and take a picture. I'm sure you have enured that the leaf switches are appropriately separated, and not by too much. Out of curiosity, with the playfield up, if you just trigger the leaf switch inside the cabinet by the flipper button for the upper flipper, is it still the same behavior?
I think if you trigger that leaf switch inside the cabinet and you have intermittent response, like what your experiencing, and knowing that you have already reflowed the wires, but if you also change out for a new coil and still have the same response, then after ensuring that all molex connections are firmly secured to the boards, I would think it is a board problem, and at that point would think that you could send a service note to Stern.
So sorry you are having this problem.

Since the T-Rex is stationary item on the pro model, you may want to take this question to the Jurassic Park premium/LE thread. I'm sure there will be some folks that can chime in on the problem that you're having.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/welcome-to-the-jurassic-park-le-club/page/159#post-6442524

Just wanted to report that I installed the "T-Rex alive" mod from yoyokopter a couple days ago...and it's awesome

The package arrived very neatly organized, the instructions were clear and precise. The install itself took about 10 minutes, and the overall effect is even better than I was anticipating. I am very happy with this mod!

There is both pro and premium/LE owners on this particular thread, but you may want to take this issue to the JP premium/LE thread (as there will be others with that gate mechanism to look at it and help you troubleshoot the issue).

Link for that thread is below.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/welcome-to-the-jurassic-park-le-club/page/159#post-6450129

Cool!
Hadn't seen those before. Looks really neat.

You can always send Scott at Pinstadium an email about it and he will respond with some recommendations (and usually attaches a picture of the underside of the pf with that recommendation).

Let me ask the group of question related to lower flipper power.
I noticed this on my previous premium to a degree, but on my pro I also noticed the same thing.
The question relates to the lower flipper power. I notice it mostly on the right. It seems that after a 2-3 games of play, the power of that right lower flipper seems to get a bit wimpy (I noticed this mostly in its reliability to get the ball up and around that T-Rex ramp at times).
It's not a coil stop issue, coil stop is ok.
Factory setting already has it at its highest strength.
Do you think this is an issue with heating of the coil (which seems more and more to be a growing trend with some of these newer spike/spike 2 games) and if so, has anyone tried the coil fans provided by Pin Monk on their JP? If so, have there been noticeable results after adding those fans? Any other suggestions?
Thanks!!!

I'd say that I noticed the right flipper getting slightly weak to get up that left T-Rex ramp after about 20 minutes of play. Now, that said, it's not a consistently weak feeling flipper at that ~20 minute mark, it's intermittent, but that weakness seems to progress and become more noticeable the longer I play.
Game set up fairly steep, but nothing crazy, shy of 7° and playfield is level.

Yeah me too. I love this game a ton, and it's really disappointing when I start to notice that flipper fade. I'm almost tempted to purchase and try those Pin Monk fans to see if it helps to any noticable degree.

Yes, it's an intermittent weak feeling from the lower flipper, predominantly the right flipper. I too changed the coil stop and sleeve, not much difference. Again, it's not that I can't get the ramp, it's just it definitely feels to intermittently get weak and I noticed this mainly with nice clean shots to the left ramp just barely getting up and around sometimes. I am going to try those coil fans and see if that proves beneficial. If it does, awesome, if not, I may switch those fans off to my Iron Maiden. I will report back either way.

The coils do get hot, as expected, but I can't report a specific degrees, but I too am curious if these Pin Monk flipper cooling fans will help here. Seems as though there are several Spikes/Spike 2 games that have been benefiting from these fans, so I figured why not give it a try.
The flipper mechanism itself is perfectly fine, new coil stop, fresh cold sleeve, EOS switches are fine, no rattling of the ball at the ramp entrance has mentioned above.... Right lower flipper just seems to intermittently feel weak (noticed mainly by getting up that left ramp at times).
I'm hopeful this fan works and I will definitely make sure to report my findings when it arrives and is installed.

Looks cool! Nice job

Nice man, I actually think that looks pretty badass. A bit over the top, but really cool. You got a ton of vegetation there, I don't think anyone would argue that, but may I make an editing suggestion. From the point of the inlanes to the flippers, consider removing the foliage there, and leave the foliage all above the inlanes (starting around the raptor pit). You have that apron mod from wizard mods, which I also really like, but that adds the vegetation up close...so removing the stuff from the inlane areas keeps it from being too busy up close, makes the rest of the stuff you do a bit more intriguing, and also gives you some nice visual pathways for the ball when it's approaching the inlane/outlane areas.

Agree, those are some good looking side blades. I'm actually at home at the moment and able to look at mine, similarly they are solid, no cutout hole. I just applied right over those recessed hinge bolt areas.
I suppose if you knew on the front end that you wanted to powder coat the hinges, suppose I would just do that first and then put the blades on.

On another note, curious if anyone has powder coated there JP Pro in that emerald green, similar to that on the LE? And if so, would you be willing to post some pictures.

There is no need to remove the playfield when installing the side blades. There's a few good YouTube videos about installing side blades. Essentially, just need it predominantly in the maintenance position, but a little up and down of the playfield is always necessary.

Took a look at those pics you have on your profile page, that green looks amazing!!

That fractured green definitely does look very very nice. That basically looks like the color I'm thinking of as well. I think it would look amazing on the game.

Excellent point to bring up. I also spray the sticky side of the side blades with a little bit of soapy water. I use a little spray bottle, not too much, just enough to add some moisture so that there's a little bit of movement of the side blade sticker before it sticks too much that you can't reposition it while you're getting it perfect. Then once in position, I use a soft towel to ensure everything is smooth and wick away any residual moisture.

Wanted to post a follow-up for a feeling of intermittent weak right lower flipper I was experiencing.

Over the last week or so I had made a post or two talking about a intermittent feeling of a weak right lower flipper. Playing it at factory strength settings. Examining the coil plunger EOS, etc everything checked out okay. My main feeling/experience was that sometimes I was having a hard time getting the ball fully up the left ramp, which was frustrating.

In light of this experience, and feeling like maybe the last thing to try was the PinMonk coil cooling fans thinking that possibly something about the coil was getting hotter than it should, which has been a known issue with some of the newer sterns, I picked some up and gave them a try.

Firstly, let me commend PinMonk as the packaging was great, the installation was super straightforward and simple and the overall design was quite elegant.

So I installed the fans and played a game and found that I was still having a very difficult time rather early on in gameplay in getting up that left ramp. Some shots would blaze right through, but ~40-50% felt like they were either just making it around the corner, or just getting up just out of view to only come right back down. Again, amazingly frustrating.

I went ahead and started feeling like, shit, Fk my life...but once I got my act together, I started thinking that maybe there might be an issue with the left ramp itself, something that's just not quite right, so I started looking at it intensely.

...Sure as shit, and mind you this is a NIB that I picked up only a month or two ago, and I do have experience with this game as Ive owned two premiums in the past, (this one's a pro, super happy btw)....But sure enough, the person that installed the left ramp plastic roof cover (that extends behind the backboard of the playfield) didn't put those black spacers on correctly!!! As opposed to putting the black spacer in between the plastic roof and the ramp, they put them on top! Nice QC!!!! No fking wonder the balls were making it up just out of view and coming back or just barely making it through, they were squeezed to hell back there!!!!

Can't believe I didn't notice that before. Unbelievable. As soon as I saw that, I knew immediately that was the problem, and I was kicking myself in the butt for not noticing it before. So it was all but one that was installed incorrectly, I fixed that. I went ahead and took the opportunity to give a little cleaning to the playfield, put the glass on, played a game and was blazing that left ramp all day long. Perfect. Down to zero issues right now with this game, and that feels great.

Anyway, in synopsis, the problem had nothing to do with a hot coil, PinMonks design is elegant and easy to install and highly recommended for those that need it, the issue was ultimately due to poor QC at Stern with incorrect installment of the spacers in between the left ramp and the left ramp plastic roof cover.

...whew...

Yeah, I'm afraid there's a lot of truth to that.....

That's ferociously cool! Couldn't see the jaw action on that clip, but looks really cool.

Congrats on the game. It may be my favorite game and probably gets the most play in my collection.
Mezel mods makes some great mods for this game. I really like their upgraded lookout tower as well as their raptor cage. There's some cool side blades out there too. Shaker is super well integrated into this game and if not already installed, should maybe be the first thing to add.

I'm also very interested to see a picture of your playfield with those star post lights. That's a good idea. I noticed on the slings, there's really only one normal star post closest to the flippers, the other two posts are smaller diameter cylinders. Did you use any lighting at those as well?
I did initially put some spotlights at the slings, but for whatever reason, I'd just didn't care for the look, and I really didn't feel as though they were adding that much for what they were. So I ended up taking them down. I've had Pinstadiums on previous JP's I've owned, and they've looked quite nice. When I used those kinds of stadium lightings, I always bring them down to a very low percentage, cuz I still like the little shadows here and there and also don't like to have my eyes burned out, haha. I will say that there is some very rich colors in the playfield that in dark rooms that I'm sure most of us play in, it is harder to appreciate. I suppose that is one nice benefit to the stadium lighting, although I think on this game, this time around, I would like to not use them and go for alternative means.... So I am interested in seeing a picture of that playfield, if you don't mind

I almost always change out my stern games to frosted warm white. I always save a bag of the original bulbs, in case I ever sell the game and the buyer wants to use the original lighting scheme. So I just looked at the bag in my coin box, and while I wouldn't call them frosted, they are somewhat white opaque bulbs. Common being common, as above, I've noticed that most of the time Stern is pumping out their games in cool white, or at least that's what they look like to me (but I can't be 100% certain that that's what these bulbs are, just probably a safe bet).
For me, I always enjoy the look of warm white, so I always make that change pretty soon after acquiring a game, but it's my own personal preference.

That does look like some very nice lighting. Thank you for posting that playfield picture. The star post lighting that you used at the slings...since there's only one true star post (closest post at the sling) and the other two posts are smaller diameter cylinders...may I ask, did you just use star post lighting at that one star post?
Thx

Thanks. Yes, I usually am rather quick triggered to put in stadium lighting in some of the newer games, but I feel like I'm becoming a bit more reserved about that over time, and have actually been enjoying the darker shadows and such in this game with just the normal game lights...but I do feel like this game needs just a little bit more...so I appreciate your responses

I moved my post as well, and as stated above, these things are really in there sometimes.
For me, I had to tap at it from under the playfield with a hammer. And even then, once it was flush with the playfield, I had to give a couple extra taps to the back of a thin Phillips head to drive it up even further before I was able to get it out. Once out, I had to tap lightly with the hammer to drive it through the desired post hole. I can't quite remember, but I do think I briefly removed that wireform to get that done.
I've had to do this tapping out and in method before on some games, but for sure on this game and possibly other newer Stern games, I noticed there was no just simply pulling it out by hand.

After making sure that your shooter rod is centered to the ball (making appropriate adjustments after loosening the screws that hold the shooter plate in place), evaluate your shooter spring. Should do fairly well on average using Orange colored spring, however, that said sometime ago I changed to a red spring and have gotten more fast and consistent results with the plunge going around that horseshoe ramp and onto the wireform that leads to the right inlane.

https://www.pinballlife.com/ball-shooter-plunger-inner-spring-red.html

For sure put that third screw in. Yes, the angle is tight and it tightens up with the screwdriver and a bit of an angle, and that's the way it is on most games. Once you get that angle of the shooter rod that you like and all three are loose, tighten them all back up starting with the easily accessible ones (the ones you have in alone right now) and then the third one (that's more difficult to tighten there at the upper corner on the right).
Even when everything is perfect, sometimes the plunge doesn't make it 180° onto the helipad wireform, but the overwhelming majority should make it. I do think that ensuring proper alignment of your shooter rod, as well as including all appropriate screws should help out a lot.
For me, I had 75-80% good success with the orange spring, but I've noticed 90 plus percent success with the red spring, at least for me on my game. Never any harm or foul to try different springs, every game is just a little bit different. What you don't use on this game, you might use as a spare or an alternate in another game now or in the future.

For me, when I'm using comet spotlights, I always take a black marker to the red wire (to make it stand out less), but heat shrink is also another good idea. I also zip tie the wires to the post (usually two zip ties) so that the wires look organized and then run the wires in a similar direction as you have them (behind the rubber and down through the playfield hole that contains the sling lights and switches). Sometimes it's a little trial and error to get it to look the cleanest.

Congrats! This is one of the best games, I swear. I've owned premium in the past, but currently own a pro and am perfectly satisfied.

I upgraded my speaker system to Flipper Fidelity for the back box and cabinet. I also use Pinnovators board attachment (very easy to do, check out their website) and it comes with a wire that runs down the back box and out the bottom of your cabinet and then you hook to a sub (which sits on the floor underneath the cabinet of the game). They recommend the Polk 10-in sub, which I also use and it is a great sound package all together. Just the Pinnovators sub alone is a nice upgrade. Love it.

Don't forget to get a shaker with this game! It is so well integrated, and really adds to the experience of the game. I personally recommend the shaker from Pinball Life.

Somewhere, deep in the pinside archives was a great post by a fellow who had a really smart idea to address this.
I'm sure someone can chime in with the actual post, but essentially what he did, and what I have done since finding that post was: take the bulb, pull away the small metal wire prongs and bend them out (about 90° away). Then, cut to spec and wrap a small piece of electrical tape around the base circumferentially. Then, put the little metal prongs back around the edges they way they originally were.
This makes the base of the bulb a little thicker and offers a little bit of grip within the socket, and thus the bulb is significantly less likely to pop out.
This is a great little trick.

That's so funny you mentioned that maneuver, haha.
For me, I do not like to play with lights in the room shining down on the games. I like playing in dark rooms. The area in my game room where I have my games I as well partially unscrew the canned recessed lights that are situated just above my row of games (that would otherwise be shining straight down onto them).
I have a stool nearby, so if ever I need to work on any particular game, I bring the stool near the game, get up on it to reach the ceiling and give the lightbulb the turn and a half it needs to turn that light back on, do the work on the game in the light so I can see what I'm doing and when I'm done, I give it the counterclockwise twist and a half to unscrew/disengage the bulb and then play away! Works for me!

Thank you so much for posting that solution. I had a very similar problem on a different game recently and somehow I was lucky enough to get just enough bite to get the bolt out after fiddling for about an hour... Those tools look amazing and I'd imagine will be an excellent resource for this kind of problem next time it arises.
Thanks for posting that link, I picked up a set!

I've never used one, and I can certainly see the future value in protecting the shooter lane, but in HUO games and taking care of the game meticulously, etc, etc, you really shouldn't need it.
I was tempted to recommend the same thing.
I also vote to just remove the shooter lane protector.
Remove it and see if your problem goes away and let us know.

Both the T-Rex alive mod as well as some other particular mods (i.e. Tilt Toppers, for example) have the small female molex at its end to connect to that C6 power there in the back box there at that lower board. At one time I had a Tilt topper which hooked into that location, but ultimately exchanged it for the T- Rex alive mod. Really great mod by the way.

Anyway, there is a 4-way power splitter for Stern Spike/Spike2 that connects to that hook up there at the back box, is out of the way and accessible (magnetized to the back box), and offers 4 additional similar connection ports.

https://www.pinballlife.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PBL-600-0489-00

I would definitely undo any homebrew splice/crimps that you added to the T-Rex mod and leave that system alone as it is.

That T-Rex mod is a really great mod, and I have it as well for my pro and am really happy with it. I recommend to install it exactly per it's instructions. The gentleman that created that mod is very bright about how he sources his power, although there is no room for any alterations to the system he created. That said, with the above linked Stern splicer, you can power other items that have this particular molex end connector separately there at the back box.

Now, if you have a different / larger version of molex requiring 12 volt power, there are additional splitters that are offered from several different companies from two-way to 4+-way. These typically attach to the 12 volt open end that is usually there at the front of the cabinet.

For example:

https://pinballpro.net/shop/stern-pinball-12v-power-splitter-x2/

https://mezelmods.com/products/pinball-12v-deluxe-power-splitter

When you look at the outlanes, there is a small post that has, I believe, three different options to move it. First thing you can do is loosen the nut underneath the playfield at that post, and move the post to the lowest hole. That closes the outlane a bit and allows the ball to potentially bounce out of there as opposed to run down the outlane easier. Those holes are pretty tight, by the way, and it's a little bit of a pain to move them, but you can do it..

Another thing is making sure your flippers are positioned appropriately. When you look at the tips of the lower flippers you will see small holes/imprints in the playfield. If you look at the top flat part of the flipper and were to draw an imaginary line, it should match out with that hole /imprint. Some people call this "slightly droopy flippers" but that is how this game was designed to have them. Now, that said, some people like to have the flippers dead square to those holes/imprints, but that is there personal preference/decision. The positioning of these flippers like this (as above, slightly droopy) enhances your ability to get those far lateral shots (like control center and helipad) a bit easier, and you will find that gameplay becomes surprisingly much more fluid when the flippers are positioned like this.

It is relatively widely agreed that for whatever reason, that right ramp is just difficult to dial in.
Sometimes you hit it so smoothly, especially when you're not actually needing that ramp for some goal. But when you're aiming for it purposefully, it can be oddly challenging. So don't think that that is a individual problem you're having, haha.

I think you will find that at first, just trying to focus on progressing through paddocks you will find yourself going for the shots that you need and eventually becoming more familiar with how to shoot across the playfield. Once you feel as though you're progressing well through the paddocks, then you can start to get creative with strategy on some of the other side modes and multiballs, etc.

As chuckwurt above mentions, try loosening up your tilt bob (or as he also suggests, just take the thing out for a period of time). Bumping and nudging this game, and most games in general, will keep that ball alive. You have to get just a little bit aggressive with the games if you really want to keep that ball alive and keep playing. This is a known thing that you need to kind of learn and get used to. Sometimes, on a really long game, you actually might get physically tired from all the bumping and nudging, but you will notice that as your ability to bump and nudge lessens, so will your length of ball time...

It's such a great game. As an above post asked about...I have GDZ and love it, there's no doubt about it...but JP is still the king in my book.

Yes, ideally the lower flippers should be slightly droopy, which will help with the side shots.

That illusion gambler color that you chose looks absolutely amazing!

It is a fairly known problem that the opto on the left ramp sometimes will miss a passing ball.
It is in light of that, Stern created a plastic roof at the entrance of the left ramp has been created and replacements are available on some mod sites. You want to make sure you have a plastic roof at the entrance of your left ramp. There have been some who have opted to lower that roof even more by taking out the spacers that sit between the top of the ramp entrance and that plastic ramp roof. Additionally, Stern also created an aftermarket metal attachment bracket at the entrance of that left. JP ramp that assists the optos in registering a passing ball.

The issue is that the ball sometimes will travel so fast up the left ramp that it will ride above and miss the beams of the opto, which can be very disappointing, especially when you really need that shot. In those cases, you will check it in test mode and it will test fine, but during gameplay it can be a different story.

In addition to that ramp cover at the entrance of the left ramp, and in addition to lowering it by removing the spacers, and either in addition to, or as opposed to using the aftermarket left ramp entrance bracket that Stern created, you can also consider taking some opaque tape and covering the *lower half* of the optos at the left ramp, which is a trick that many have used on this game and others.

In case you need a replacement wrap cover, ulek has them on site and are available:

https://www.ulekstore.com/Left_Ramp_Replacement_Plastic_for_Jurassic_Park_p/leftramp_jp.htm

I am sure a forum search will bring up some additional stories and pictures.
Hope this helps.

The short answer is yes.
However, newer Stern Pro playfields sometimes do not have the pf hole to accept the post that is typically present on premium aprons (an apron post that is attached on the backside of the front of the apron that passes through the playfield and secured underneath the pf by a hex nut).
If you're premium apron has those posts, which likely it will, and there are no holes, you will need to carefully drill those holes into the playfield. You want to be careful and exact and protect your clear coat as much as able. You want to measure three times and drill once, if you know what I mean.
The lit inserts on the apron can be backlit with comet matrix bulbs hooked to GI, so lighting the apron inserts is not a big deal at all.
I did this last year on my BK Pro and it looked amazing. I have since sold that game, or I would include a picture for you.

Question for the group.
I don't always make it to the visitor center, but I did yesterday. It's always a rush!
Took a straight path from the left-sided paddocks to get there. Did have two T-Rex events (multiball and T-Rex rampage), and did one control room mode. Did achieve one extra ball during this time.

I got to the visitor center on ball 2 (with help from an extra ball) and almost had the left control room shot for the last raptor (I think that was the last raptor shot), but I missed it. However, as the game moved forward, on ball 3, I wasn't exactly sure what was to be done at that point in time... No other paddocks to go to. Didn't see a way forward, per se.
What does one do at this point? Hit the truck and try and do remaining T-Rex events? Try and qualify additional control room shots?
I recall being in that position before, but always at a bit of a loss as to what to try and do at that point. Can someone help to shed a little light in this situation? Thanks everyone!

Not for JP, but I did installed them on my BK SOR last year.
The application onto the side walls of the cabinet is no different than any other game.
Power source however, is a bit different and was a little confusing at first and I had to talk with the folks at Pingraffix...but they were nice to talk with and let me know that the power source was from the back box and where.

In the back box, at the lower right hand side where the ancillary power supply port is located... within that area you have to remove the covering in that right lower area temporarily and there is a otherwise hidden power tap that is required for these blades. It will be obvious when you see it, but that's where it's recommended to get power from for these blades. Once you've made the connection between that tap and the blades, you can replace that covering and you'll be good to go.

I love this game, and for what it's worth, I've owned the premium in the past (twice, actually) and currently have a pro.
Folks can chime in, but to add to your comment of differences between premium and Pro...
In addition to the T-Rex functions and the helicopter blades as you mention (which there are some aftermarket Pro add-ons that will also spin), there's also the raptor cage gate that comes up and traps the ball (as opposed to hitting the back stand up and being stopped at a up-post on the Pro).
From a premium version embellishment standpoint, there is a molded raptor on the premium there at the raptor cage (but aftermarket raptors can be purchased). Additionally, there are some upgraded pop bumper caps on the premium that have the amber-trapped bug (but these too can be purchased aftermarket, slightly different, but gettable). I personally left the pro pop caps alone.

I too was very curious as to whether or not I was going to miss the premium features, which are undoubtedly cool, but to be honest, I personally have not yet found that I've missed those features after owning this game for a while and putting several hundred games on it.
I think the main reason is that the shots and ramps are all the same (and they're nice metal ramps across all models), and the gameplay is the same as I remember on the premium (with the exception the obvious intermittent short-lived changes at the T-Rex and raptor cage). Might just be me, but I've been very happy with the Pro and really am so impressed with the code and gameplay that these missing premium features really don't bother me at all.

I will admit that I did pick up that "T-Rex alive" mod, and I do enjoy watching the dino head move. I modded the game identical to the way I had done for my premiums and there are a lot of great mods out there for this game that can be purchased, almost all can be used for any model.

So in summary, initially being curious like you about the two versions and now offering my own personal impression after owning both versions, I will say without reservation that I personally have been extremely happy with my current Pro and plan on hold on to this game for a good while.
I just love this game!!!!

Hey Adam, sure.
This is a very well thought out and well made mod by a gentleman who is here on Pinside, yoyokopter

This is a thread he created that has some more information linked below. I recommend you send him a PM and reach out to him about this mod.

I know I have put on hundreds of games with this mod in place and it has functioned wonderfully since install. Install was straightforward and he gives nice detailed instructions on how to do so. Takes about 20 minutes or so.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/yoyokopter-mod-development-and-reviews-thread/page/2#post-6404581

Cheers.

I have a bead on one.
Sent you a PM

I was intrigued by your post about removing the left screw on the ramp flap at the tower shot.

I checked mine, and while it wasn't dramatic, sure enough there was subtle but present rub of the ball on that screw. I had noticed that shot being a bit clunky on my current game. I've owned this title three times and on one of the games the shot was smooth, but the other two that shot was a little clunky, but makeable (including my current game).

So, I took that left tower ramp flap screw out and placed mylar as suggested to hold the flap down and sure enough, I can confirm, the shot is dramatically more smooth, I mean for real! Thank you!! Great suggestion!!!

I had screws installed similar to your picture, and having such success with your suggestion at the Tower shot (as above), I removed those two screws at the Helipad shot and laid down mylar to hold the ramp flap in place.
I can confirm that that Helipad/S shot is now smoother than it's ever been. Just amazing!
Thank you again for the great suggestions!! Now both my tower shot and helipad shot are just as smooth as butter! Truthfully, I'm stunned with the results. Thanks again!!!

Having owned this title three times, I noticed my first game was quite smooth at the tower shot, however, the next two, including my current game had some clunkiness to it. So, I also agree there is some variability at these areas from game to game.
My ramps/ramp flaps look just like the pictures just posted above. Taking that left ramp flap screw out at the tower shot and covering that area with mylar has made that shot smooth like butter. Night and day results, and I couldn't be happier to have stumbled on this solution. I also did this at the shooter lane U-turn ramp/ ramp flap.
I too have ordered some carbon fiber ramp flaps from Cliff to exchange the current mylar covered flaps with his carbon fiber ones. That said, while it certainly will look clean with Cliff's carbon fibers, things are shooting so smooth now, almost makes me wonder...why mess with a good thing!?!